Lies
by Starlight Soul
Summary: Heero and Duo have always tried to protect their daughter from the darker side of life. Too bad they didn't realize she would stumble on it so soon.


Lies

**Lies**

"Papa Duo!" came a shrill cry as the front door slammed open.

Duo stepped out of the kitchen just in time to snag the little girl running down the hall of their small house. Her chocolate hair was beginning to come out of its braid and her pixie face was tearstained around swollen violet eyes.

"What's wrong munch-kin?" asked Duo while helping her out of her coat and taking her bag.

"Melody lied!" she cried unhappily.

Duo looked up to find his husband scowling in the doorway. Heero's cerulean eyes were full of rarely seen anger.

"Mackenzie, start at the beginning," ordered Heero. He sat and pulled the seven year old into his lap.

"Yes, daddy; Melody has bruises. Mrs. Meaker asked how she got them and she lied," explained their daughter.

"How do you know she lied, Mackenzie?" asked Duo gently.

Mackenzie stared at the table and wouldn't look up as she answered. "I saw her daddy hurt her."

"Heero?" questioned Duo.

"I saw her. She moves as though she has bruised ribs. Her arms are mottled with old and new bruises. That's all I could see without getting closer."

"I'm calling Sally and Une.

"Let's get your homework done," said Heero softly to his daughter.

* * *

Duo opened the door to let Sally and Une in. Both women looked grim and carried file folders.

"What did you find?" asked Duo leading them into the living room.

"Aunt Sally!" cried Mackenzie running in.

"Hi there, Sweetie," said Sally pulling her into a hug.

Mackenzie pulled away and gave the two women a serious look. The look was so similar to Heero's that it conflicted with her youth.

"Daddy says you're gonna try to help Melody," said Mackenzie while Sally turned on the camcorder.

"Do you think Melody needs help?" asked Une.

"Melody always has hurts. Her daddy hurts her," answered Mackenzie.

"How do you know her daddy hurts her?" asked Sally.

"I saw."

"What did you see?" asked Une softly.

"Melody accidentally got muddy yesterday. Her daddy got mad and shook her on the wall," replied Mackenzie. "Melody fell asleep and her daddy took her in the house."

Sally frowned and produced a doll. "Mackenzie, can you show us what he did?"

They watched in silent horror as she held the doll by the arms and shook it, slamming it into the wall. Fury filled Duo's violet eyes as he watched his daughter.

"Thank you Mackenzie," sighed Une.

"Come on Munch-kin," said Heero, "it's bed time."

Duo wrapped his daughter in a tight hug and kissed her forehead. "Love you, Sweetie. I'll be in to tuck you in, just give me a moment okay."

"Okay, Papa," responded Mackenzie. "Night Aunt Sally."

"Good night, Mackenzie."

Duo waited until his daughter was out of hearing range before turning towards the two women. "Well?"

"Do you know how long they've been living next door?" asked Sally.

"About three months," replied Duo. "I knew something was off, I just didn't know how off." Duo looked over his shoulder and back. "Give me a second to tuck her in then we'll finish this."

"Go head."

Duo hurried down the hall, making it just in time to hear the end of her prayers. "… Take care of Melody, don't be mad cause she lied. Please, don't let her daddy hurt her no more."

"All set?" asked Duo softly.

"Yes, Papa," replied Mackenzie with a yawn.

Duo helped her slide under the covers before pulling them up and tucking her in. Heero sat on the other side and they each gave her a goodnight kiss. They turned out the light and left the door cracked open before returning to the living room.

"God, I can't believe she witnessed that!" cried Duo throwing himself into the chair.

"She may have saved her friend though," replied Sally. She opened the inch thick folder and spread the photos out on the coffee table. "Eight hospitals and we don't know where they've been for the last ten months."

"How could this go on and no one noticed?" questioned Heero softly as he ran fingers across a picture.

"It's because people don't want to see," answered Duo as he moved away from the photos, "It's easier to believe that it's a clumsy child or that they like to fight." Duo turned to face the two women. "Can you save her?"

"We're removing her from the situation tomorrow morning," replied Une.

* * *

They moved through their morning as usual. Heero took Mackenzie to school while Duo cleaned up and prepared to get some work done for the day. The routine changed with a single phone call.

"Missed me already?" asked Duo answering the phone.

"Look next door; is his car there?" demanded Heero, the fear and anger in his voice driving a cold spike through Duo's heart.

As his cell phone rang across the room he snagged it and moved to look out the window. The little red sports car usually seen in the neighbors drive was gone. "It's gone, Sally's on my cell, how far away are you?"

"Almost home, answer Sally," ordered Heero before hanging up.

"Heero just called me," said Duo answering the cell phone and rushing towards the neighbor's house.

"We've got him, Duo," Sally said. "No one knows where Melody is at. Get in that house. We already have the documentation. I'm on my way and EMS is enroute."

"I'm working on it," snapped Duo.

He didn't bother with the lock picks he still carried in his braid. He picked up a rock and shattered the window beside the door. The glass clattered to the floor as he reached in and unlocked the door. He didn't hesitate to begin his search of the small house. Everything in the house was pristine, as though there had never been a child in sight of it. He bypassed the first two rooms, the kitchen and living room barely registering as he searched for Melody. The room he found could have been from a doll house. Everything was perfectly in place, in its entire pink and white ruffled splendor.

"Melody," called Duo while trying to force the fear out of his voice; "Melody honey, do you remember me? I'm Mackenzie's Papa. Melody, honey, I need you to come out or make a noise." He pulled pillows off of the bed searching for her.

"Did you find her?" asked Heero running in.

"Not yet," answered Duo. "God, Heero, I hope she's okay."

"I'll check another room."

"Melody, sweetheart," Duo begged. "Come on honey; if you can't come to me make a noise." Duo nearly fell over his own feet at the small whimper. "Heero, I can hear her!" yelled Duo. "Again Melody," said Duo trying to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. "Come on sweetheart; make noise so I can find you." The second noise was a little louder but still hard to pinpoint. He threw open the closet and pushed the clothes aside but there was no sign of Melody. As he shut the door, he noticed the long dark hair from under the bed.

Heero joined him just as he dropped to his stomach and shimmied under the bed. "Did you find her?"

"Melody, this is a good hiding place," said Duo softly as he moved closer to the tiny girl. He could see that her arm was bent at an unnatural angle and blood was dried beside her mouth. One ebony eye was swollen shut and the other was bright with fever. "I'm gonna take you out of here, okay sweetie," warned Duo before gently pulling her towards him.

He couldn't stop himself from flinching at her cries. He knew it would hurt to move her. Carefully he scooted backwards pulling her along. Once they were moving he didn't stop. Fueled by his anger and fear he gathered her into his arms as carefully as he could and pushed himself to his feet. He was up and running before Heero could return with help.

He met the paramedics at the door and placed her as gently as he could on the gurney. "Broken arm and leg, possible ribs too," Duo said as he stepped back.

"How could anyone do this to a child!" demanded the paramedic as she started working to stabilize Melody.

Duo couldn't stop trembling as it overtook his thin form. He stepped back into Heero and felt strong arms wrap around him. They echoed his tremble on a smaller scale but he took comfort in the emotional response of his partner. Duo turned, burying his face in Heero's neck.

"I wanna go get Kenzie," He sighed into Heero's neck. "I just want to hold my daughter."

"Do you think Melody is gonna like our surprise Papa?" asked Mackenzie as they made their way down the hospital hall.

"You tell me Munchkin," replied Duo as he glanced up at the teddy bear and the card riding on Heero's head.

Mackenzie pushed down Heero's hair and turned violet eyes on her Papa. "I think so. Melody always wanted a nice Daddy, I don't mind sharing."


End file.
